Challenges for small ports and airfields

Peter Nilsson Police Commissioner /Head of Airpol, Europe

Ruggero Scaturro Senior Analyst /Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), Austria

Sjoerd Top Executive Director /Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) – MAOC (N), Portugal

Thomas King Higher Officer - General Aviation Multi-Agency Hub /Home Office Intelligence – Border Force, UK

As perpetrators of trafficking human beings (THB) and international crimes, such as smuggling of drugs or illicit goods, continue to show signs of avoiding commercial airlines, there is evidence that regional airlines and airports, as well as light aircraft into small private aerodromes and fields, are being used for these activities, where the handling of these flights by departure and arrival are not through the regular border controls.
Similar issues and challenges are being faced on coastal borders, with smugglers and traffickers of human beings using small boats to benefit from utilising beaches or hidden alcoves to conduct their illegal activities.
What can be done to tackle the use of light aircraft and private airfields, and small boats, which are difficult to detect, highly problematic to intercept and easy for criminal to be in and out again in a matter of minutes?